


Mills and Hanscum Home for Wayward Girls

by Mnemos9



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 10x20 coda, Alex and Claire are perfect siblings, Breakfast at the Mills Table, Donna's in town, Future Fic, Gen, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, It's stupidcute, Light-hearted Drug Reference, Momma Bear!Donna, Momma Bear!Jody, Teenage scuffling, kids being kids, prob Post S10, teenage angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3866008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mnemos9/pseuds/Mnemos9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire’s scrubbing clumps of dried mascara out of her eyelashes as she shuffles into the kitchen.</p><p>“Where’s breakfast?” she grumbles towards the back of Alex’s downcast head.</p><p>Without looking up, the other girl points at a solitary off-brand pop-tart on the table poking out of its’ silver wrapper.</p><p>Claire blinks slowly, scowling at it. “Seriously?” she groans.</p><p>“Jody’s getting breakfast,” Alex mumbles. “and keep it down. Donna’s still asleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mills and Hanscum Home for Wayward Girls

**Author's Note:**

> Right after 10x20, this happened  
>   
> And I just couldn't help myself.

Claire’s scrubbing clumps of dried mascara out of her eyelashes as she shuffles into the kitchen.

“Where’s breakfast?” she grumbles towards the back of Alex’s downcast head.

Without looking up, the other girl points at a solitary off-brand pop-tart on the table poking out of its’ silver wrapper.

Claire blinks slowly, scowling at it. “Seriously?” she groans.

“Jody’s getting breakfast,” Alex mumbles. “and keep it down. Donna’s still asleep.”

Grabbing onto the wooden frame, Claire hangs around the archway, catching a glimpse of long blonde locks strewn over the arm of the sofa as the sheriff snores softly. Letting her arm drop like dead weight to her side, Claire ducks her head back into the kitchen.

“And that’s got nothing to do with your hangover, right?” dragging her feet in the direction of the fridge, she glances back to catch Alex flipping her off.

Claire snorts “Told you that Jaeger was gonna kick your ass in the morning.” She cracks the door, only to be greeted by an open bread bag with one thin heel curling in on itself and a bottle of mustard that’s been here longer than she has. “ _Seriously?!_ ”

“SHHHHHHHH!!!!” Slamming the fridge shut, she turns to smirk at Alex, who’s rubbing her temples and making a face like she’s just swallowed her own puke. Hell, maybe she has.

“Next time stick with a cherry coke,” Claire throws herself into the seat on her left. “or maybe some chocolate milk, just to be safe.”

“Bite me.” Alex snarls, glaring daggers at her.

“Not really my thing.” Claire huffs, reaching for the only food in the house. Faster than she can process, Alex snatches it up and devours half of it in one mouthful. “Hey! I’ve got an interview in like,” she glances up at the microwave. “three hours!”

“Yeah, ‘m sure you’ll need every brain cell blazing to impress the bigwigs at _the Gas-N-Sip_.” Alex mocks, bits of frosted pastry flying from her mouth as she growls “Jody’ll be back any minute an’ I’ve got a hangover from Hell.”

“I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she realizes it too.” Claire makes a grab for the rest of the thing, which Alex yanks back, dangling just out of her reach.

“Think you’re gonna get off the hook just like that, _angel suit_?” She hisses.

Claire laughs through the ice dropping into her gut, a note of hysteria creeping in just before she cuts it off cold and enunciates “Just. Like. That.” She snaps. “ _Vamp pet_.”

Alex drops the silver bundle, lunging at her. The blonde evades, throwing her chair back with a sharp screech as the wood scrapes over the linoleum. Claire staggers to her feet unevenly, giving Alex the drop as the brunette swings at her. _Goddamn_ that girl’s fast-clocking Claire on the jaw hard enough to bruise. Oldest cliché there is-but still-everything goes red as she retaliates, making a grab for Alex’s throat.

“WOAH THERE!”

She’s dimly aware of Donna bellowing from the doorway and sprinting over to them. Just like she’s dimly aware of Alex’s fist connecting _hard_ with her empty stomach-once, twice-as she squeezes the other girl’s trachea hard enough to feel it grind against something it’s not supposed to.

“That’s _enough_!” Donna’s voice filters through like sand through a grate. “Cummon, girls!” The woman huffs as she manages to get in-between them, forcing them off each other.

All three stand there in their pajamas, Alex coughing and clearing her airway as she stares Claire murderously down with Donna studying the pair of them incredulously.  Claire allows her own face to mirror the sentiment and for half a minute, the only sound is the overlay of their panting breaths evening out. Begrudgingly satisfied, Donna steps back.

“ _Geez_ , you two…” she shakes her head, letting out a lungful of air. “Just can’t let a gal get more than five seconds of beauty sleep, can ya?” The woman yawns wide, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as they continue to communicate death threats telepathically.

She wanders over to the counter, grumbling “Don’t think I missed you trying to squeak in at 3:35 in the A.M.” They finally look away from each other, unwilling to see their own panic reflected in the other’s face. “Making more ruckus than a den of werewolves in heat!” She laughs, sifting through the cabinets for grounds and filters.

They raise their chins at the same time, silently blaming each other. Donna bustles around like an overly enthusiastic beam of sunlight rising over a landfill as she makes coffee.

“Least ya can do is try to be sneaky when you’re actually _sneaking_.” She starts to hum under her breath as she fills the pot with water and pours it into the machine.

Alex quirks an eyebrow accusingly at Claire as the blonde rolls her eyes, crossing her arms as her gaze drifts towards the treacherous window they practically fell through last night. Their bedroom window’s still busted-can’t open wide enough for a person to crawl through. Snapping the lid shut as the brew begins to hiss, Donna faces them.

“So what was all the kafuffle about, anyhoo?” She steps forward, one fuzzy pink slippered-foot nudging the fallen pop-tart.

All three glance down at it and Alex sighs heavily through her nose, motioning hesitantly at the pastry. Claire nods curtly in agreement, neither one willing to admit anything aloud.

“Oh,” Donna kneels and scoops the thing up. “Problem solved then!” She stuffs the rest of it into her mouth and beams at the forlorn expressions they shoot her way.

Crunching gravel outside announces Jody’s return as the ancient coffee maker percolates. All the blood drains from Alex’s face before she sprints to the bathroom.

Claire chuckles smugly. “Fifty bucks says Jody’ll smell it coming off her the instant she’s through the door.”

Donna gives her a withering look. “Fifty bucks says Jody’ll smell it off you too, Sunshine.”

Claire bolts after the brunette, wrestling the toothpaste from her grip while Alex scrubs at her face with vanilla and honey-scented hand soap for sensitive skin. Alex elbows her out of the way of the sink, splashing cold water over herself in waves while Claire brushes her teeth and scours her tongue furiously. They give each other a quick once-over, leaning in to check their breath and skin for any lingering whiff of alcohol, before strolling out of the bathroom as casually as possible.

Claire’s heart stutters in her chest as Jody glowers over her shoulder, stepping away from Donna and narrowing menacing eyes at her adopted daughters.

“I leave the house for twenty minutes,” she waves at the back door with the greasy paper bags clutched in her white-knuckled grip. “and Donna has to be woken up to the two of you trying to kill each other!” There’s no question in her carefully clipped tone.

“Well to be fair, Jody, if they were _actually_ trying to kill each other…” she trails off at the scathing glare Jody shoots her way before rounding on the girls.

“Claire, if you didn’t have an interview today…” She avoids Jody’s eyes when the woman sighs, scrubbing a free hand over her face as she tosses the Biggerson’s bags down on the table like they’ve personally offended her. “And just be thankful I’m not _my mother_ , Alex.” She glances up at the other girl as Alex’s schooled features waver uncertainly. “If she’d ever caught me with a hangover–you can bet your ass she’d be bringing me the switch instead of breakfast.”

Peeking through the curtain of her unwashed bangs, Claire catches Alex leveling an apologetic expression at the floor.

“ _So,_ ” They all jump when Donna claps her hands and brightly pipes up “who’s ready for coffee?”

Jody groans “ _God, yes_ -thank you, Donna.” When she turns her back to them, both girls visibly deflate. They turn towards each other to wordlessly congratulate themselves on escaping punishment, before they remember how pissed they still are.

Flipping a sheet of hair over her shoulder, Claire crosses over to the table and takes the seat farthest from her customary one. “Thank you, Jody.” She speaks loudly over Donna’s rapid-fire inquiry about how much sugar to mix into the otherwise black coffee.

Alex clears her throat. “Yeah, seriously. Thanks.” She plops down and immediately tears into one of the bags.

“You’re welcome.”  Jody replies stiffly. “You should both have some.” She motions to the steaming brown liquid as Donna fills two mugs.

Alex and Claire grimace at her. “That stuff tastes like ass.” The brunette complains. Claire nods, examining the contents in each bag of food.

Jody chuckles “Maybe,” Most of the venom is gone from her voice. “but it’ll help with the crushing pressure on your skull.” She smirks at Alex as Claire unwraps a sandwich overflowing with eggs and bacon to tear a chunk out of it.

She watches their non-verbal argument passively before Alex quickly caves, mumbling “Yeah, alright.”

“Sugar?” Donna holds up the white bag like a model showcasing a product on tv. Alex shakes her head, cramming hashbrown into her mouth. The woman shakes the bag at Claire, grinning like she’s just won a scratcher.

Claire opens her mouth to tell them she’s rather choke down swamp mud, but all Jody has to do is inch an eyebrow up and she hears herself muttering “Gimme a tablespoon. _Please_.” She throws in at the last second.

Humming some of that seriously obnoxious 80’s pop from the radio, Donna whirls on the spot to start stirring in sugar as Jody takes two mugs for the adults and sets them down on the table.

“Sorry about the lack of milk or creamer.” She aims at her friend. “I’ll tell Sam to pick some up when they roll into town.” Alex and Claire glance up at each other instinctively. “Least they can do after nearly burning down the whole damn precinct, last time.” She grumbles darkly.

“No kiddin’.” The other sheriff replies. “Was smoky all the way over in Stillwater. And don’t worry ‘bout it neither!” practically singing, Donna flits over and places coffee in front of both girls. “I’m trying to cut it out of my diet, anyway.” She rubs her stomach with a frown. “Apparently, it’s bad to mix hot liquid and cream in your belly. Curdles!” She makes a face as she seats herself.

Eyeing the coffee with clear malice, Claire resentfully wraps her fingers around the handle and brings it to her mouth. Thankfully, it’s still _way_ too hot to drink, so she sets it down with an audible clink.

“Apparently,” Jody mimics Donna’s expression before she opens the freezer. “But honestly, what isn’t bad for you these days?” Cracking the ice free of its’ tray, she walks to the table. “I mean, the things we have to deal with on a daily basis?” Huffing, she shakes her head as she drops an ice cube in each mug. “And I’m not even talking the nightmare stuff.” Jody’s gaze travels between Alex and Claire. “I think I’ve earned my cinnamon roll sweetener.” She concludes, slipping the tray back into the frozen dark.

With their ragtag family all seated like something on TV, Claire almost expects them to all link hands and say grace. For the first time in a _long time_ , she doesn’t miss that.

“Amen to that, sister!” Donna peeks into one of the bags, her perma-smile slipping into something tragic. “Jodes, _I told you_ -NO SWEETS!” She takes a sandwich instead and pushes the rest away.

“And _I told you_ that I’d pay you back for babysitting these two.” She nods at her girls as they eat, both fidgeting at the word ‘babysit’. “Besides, it’s your vacation!” Jody reaches into a bag and withdraws a box of mini cinnamon rolls complete with icing in a thin plastic container. “ _If_ you can call it that.” She utters, pushing the sweets back in front of Donna, who studies them as if they’re coiled vipers on the edge of sleep.

“I don’t know…” She gnaws at her bottom lip.

Jody taps the foil stretched over the icing. “It’s _strawberry_.” She sing-songs, grinning.

The other sheriff makes an exasperated noise and rolls her eyes. “Fudge it! I’m on vacation, right?” She exclaims cheerfully, popping the box open and diving in.

Jody’s expression is positively sinister from victory as she nods at the girls. “It cools down pretty quick. Drink up.”

Alex nudges Claire with her foot as she gulps down eggs and bacon and forces herself to reach for the coffee. They were hoping to catch Jody in a better mood, but this feels like their last chance to bring it up.

“Desert for breakfast, anyone?” Gulping down, Donna holds the box of cinnamon rolls out to each of them. Alex declines. Claire’s tempted, but Jody’s eyes are burning holes into the side of her face as the woman tears off a small piece of one for herself.

“Coffee. _Now_.” She instructs as Alex nudges Claire under the table _again_. She shoots her a scowl of warning that Alex meets coolly. Luckily, both adults miss the exchange as the pair reluctantly take up their mugs.

The one good thing about the scalding liquid burning her tongue and throat is that she doesn’t have to taste it as much. The women regard them with amusement as Claire and Alex splutter around the drink.

“ _Ass_!” Gasping, Alex spits the word out as Claire nods enthusiastically in agreement.

“ _Burning_ ass.” She adds in, choking it down.

“Tastes just fine to me.” Jody drawls, taking a ridiculously long draft.

“Give ‘em a few years,” Smiling wolfishly, Donna dunks a sweet in her mug, and takes a huge soggy bite that makes Claire’s stomach squirm. “You’ll have to bring them the entire pot just to roll ‘em out of bed.”

Jody laughs, taking another swig just as Alex kicks Claire and the liquid sloshes over the side to burn her fingers. Nearly biting through her lip in an attempt to keep quiet, Claire turns her whimper into a hacking cough.

“Oh now you’re just exaggerating.” Peeking over the lip of her mug, Jody frowns in her direction.

“Haha–yeah no, I’m not,” she swallows, curling her grip around the wet hot ceramic. “So how big’s this network of ghouls supposed to be, anyway?” She doesn’t look up, asking her food with the same tone she’d use if she was trying to predict the weather.

Silence echoes around the kitchen, broken only by the chirping of birds outside. She glances up to see Jody lowering her mug to the table. “It _might_ be ghouls and it’s definitely not big enough that we’d need to ask _teenagers_ for help.”

“But all three of them are coming, right?” Alex speaks up, leaning back in her chair.

“Yes,” Jody says carefully. “But to be honest, I get the feeling like Cas just doesn’t know how to admit that he wants to see Claire.”

“Wouldn’t doubt it.” Donna adds as Alex starts playing with her food absently.

“ _Please_ ,” Scoffing, Claire finds herself drinking more coffee just to have something to do with her hands. “Like he’d miss a chance to tag along with Dean.” Alex snorts into her own mug as a ripple of assent passes around the table.

“That may be true,” Jody says in that freakishly soft ‘ _mom_ ’tone. “but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to check in on you, just the same.”

Extinguishing the sudden inferno of conflicting emotions with her usual cynicism, Claire mumbles. “Whatever.” And hastily takes a bite of her cooling sandwich.

“Three full-time hunters for the job _and_ two freelancers?” Alex continues, straightening up. Claire sends a silent prayer of thanks towards her kinda, sorta ‘sister’ as the brunette draws all of the attention back onto herself. “Sounds like a pretty big deal to me.”

Donna holds her hands up, leaning back in her seat. “I’m just in town for some quality gal time.” Claire tries to get a read on her answer, but she’s effectively entered _cop_ mode. “Vacation and all that, remember?” she waves the last cinnamon roll in the air before eating it.

Alex shakes her head. “Hell of a time to vacation around here.”

Throwing her a disapproving look, Jody crosses her arms and addresses both girls. “You’re staying out of it and that’s final.” Alex tries to open her mouth before being effectively muted by the chill in her foster mom’s gaze. “ _Do_ I make myself clear?”

She glowers at her wordlessly, mouth twitching as if Alex can taste the defeat on her tongue. Claire tries one more time. “Just saying–“

Jody makes a zipping motion with her thumb and middle finger. “The answer is ‘No’, Claire.” Now she tastes it too, and it’s worse than the coffee. “Don’t you have a job interview to prep for?”

“What’s there to prep for?” She finishes her sandwich and crushes the wrapper down. “Not like I’m gonna get quizzed on state capitals while I’m mopping up puke.”

“You never know, stranger things have been known to happen.” Donna chimes in, beginning to fill one of the brown bags with the accumulating trash.

“And you look like a raccoon that just crawled out of a dumpster.” Alex laughs with her entire body at Jody’s words, pushing the remainder of her breakfast out of the way to slump over the table as Claire tries to combust her using sheer willpower alone.

“Sorry,” Alex straightens up, not at all sorry. “sorry but you really do.”

“And you–“Jody actually wags a finger at the brunette. “–Malika’s mother took a bad fall in the shower, so they’re driving up to Deadwood for a few days. Told Dan you’d watch the twins.”

“What?!” Her face falls immediately and Claire doesn’t bother to disguise the shameful glee on her own.  “Last time I was over there, Amiri somehow managed to lock himself _under the sink_ -remember? I had to bust it open!” She’d called Claire nearly hyperventilating, asking if she should take the toddler to a hospital because he’d been teething on a child-proof cap of Mr. Clean. They had agreed to take that entire day to their graves.

“He replaced the locks, Alex. You know those old ones were there before they even moved in.” Alex flounders, clearly fishing for another example she can give without landing herself in lockdown.

“Alright, girls,” Donna’s voice is all-business for once as she smacks her palm down on the ancient formica. “Hop to it, cummon!” She stands, gathering the collective waste from the table. “They don’t call her General Mills down at the station cuz she’s so fond of Lucky Charms!” So much for professionalism.

Jody buries her face in her hands. “ _Donna_ …” She moans.

The woman frowns, peering down at her friend. “Do they, Jody-o?”

“N..no, they don’t.” She sighs, lifting her head. “You heard her, get a move on!” There’s no arguing with that tone as Alex and Claire scooch their chairs out. “And wear something out of the dryer; everything in your guys’ closet _reeks_ of weed.” They practically have to swallow their hearts back down.

“Worse than a summer music festival.” Donna agrees.

“There’s a pressed shirt and pair of slacks hanging up,” Standing as well, Jody stretches her arms overhead. “and shower.” She twists to either side, vertebrae cracking into alignment. “You both _really_ need to shower.”

The girls murmur confirmation and make for the stairs at once, leaving the other two to pick up after them like real parents.

Alex spits “Shit!” when they reach their door. Claire makes a similar noise, and for all the good it does, she rushes inside to open the window as far it can possibly go (which isn’t very far at all). She starts coughing when Alex squirts half a bottle of febreeze into the closet.

“Think–“ she splutters. “Think you can make it through the day without poisoning any kids?” Claire aims over her shoulder.

“Think you can make it through the day without punching out someone who looks at you funny?” Alex counters, tossing the bottle into a heap of dirty clothing on the floor. 

They simmer quietly for a moment, each fighting to keep the situation from digressing into what it did earlier.

“Sorry.” They say at exactly the same time. Claire turns to catch Alex suppressing half-a-smile. She knows that she’s doing the exact same thing and absolutely hates it.

“ _God_ ,” she moans, sifting through the chaos on their desk for a hairbrush and makeup. “Chick-flick moment over, yeah?” Target acquired.

“Yeah.” Crossing her arms, Alex goes to lean against the wall by the doorframe. “Any more of these and we’ll have to start acting out scenes from _The Notebook_ in public.” Claire groans, upper lip curling in revulsion as levels a deeply disgusted look her way.

“I can’t believe you actually admit to seeing that.”

“I can’t believe you actually cried at the end.”

Claire gives Alex’s shoulder a firm punch on the way out. “Cunt.”

Alex returns the favor. “Dick.”

Sometimes it’s downright disturbing how well they get along.

**Author's Note:**

> *jumps around like a hamster on crack* LOOKIT, LOOKIT!!! An entire SPN fic with no Dean/Cas ship whatsoever!!! I'm so proud!! Though I suppose there is a line where that's left open for interpretation...
> 
> The title might be *slightly* misleading, considering that Donna technically doesn't live at Jody's house, but I figure she visits so often that she might as well. Who knows; with all that commuting, she might be looking into a transfer. :D
> 
> Considering that this is my first posted non-shippy fic, I'd really love some feedback ;) Especially considering how much less source material there is for everyone in here, as compared to TFW!
> 
> Thanks for reading!! I wish I had the time, money and talent to make a giant communal breakfast for all of you :3


End file.
